Warehouse fire shuts Yokohama Philippines plant

CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines — A warehouse fire May 14 at Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.'s plant in Clark Freeport has forced the tire maker to suspend production temporarily at the car and light truck tire plant that exports a large percentage of its output to North America.

Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. (YTPI) has cancelled work for more than 2,000 workers to investigate a fire that broke out in its Phase 3 warehouse over this past weekend, according to local press reports.

The fire, according to the official, destroyed newly made tires meant for export. The cost of damage is still being determined, the report added.

Yokohama commissioned an expansion of capacity in December at the 2.75 million-sq.-ft. plant, which exports the majority of its output to North America, Europe and other ASEAN countries.

That project boosted annual capacity at the 20-year-old plant to 12.5 million tires, including capacity for tires up to 20 inches rim diameter.

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